“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him, for He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust.” — Psalm 103:13-14
I still remember how wonderful my relationship with my own father was. He was a man of a good sense of humor. We could laugh together about a lot of things. Since my sister was a girl and my brother was eight years younger than I, there was not a lot he could not share with them at that time. He would always shave and then when he would remember something funny, he would come out and share it with me or we would read the morning paper and laugh at Quino or Mafalda or some other comics in the Colombian papers. One morning he came out of the bathroom and his shaving cream looked different. I said to him, “What’s that on your face?” and he said without a flinch, “Shaving cream, of course!” and then he touched his face and it smelled it and it was tooth paste! So he turns to me and says, “Wow! That is toothpaste! I wonder what I brushed my teeth with!!” And we both laughed and laughed!! Classic dad!
We had a relationship of mutual respect as well. I respected him and he respected me. When he had to discipline me, he would because he knew it was for my good. He was one of the kindest and generous human beings upon this planet! If he could help someone out, he would. He sacrificed in every way. He could have driven high priced cars like “Beemers” or Benz but he drove Renaults so he could pay for our education.
He was not as comfortable around people with a lot of money but he knew how to connect with everybody. He was easy-going and had a lot of friends. People would warm up to him right away. He was not comfortable pouring out his personal problems with just anyone. He was “burned” several times and has some issues with trust. But he was a very forgiving man. And he would humble himself if he knew that he had mistake and admit it.
He loved music and the movies. His favorite kind of music was jazz and he had the uncanny ability to recognize almost any jazz song of his time! We would put jazz albums on and a certain track and he would tell us, the artist, the name of the album, who produced it, what year, what side the track and what number on that side! The same with movies, he could tell us who starred in it, who directed it, who produced it, what year, if it won oscars and how many!!
His architectural ability was even more renowned. He was the chief designer of the Contemporary Hotel of Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. He won several awards for his designs, one for the beautification of the City of Bogota in Bogota, Colombia for a commercial center he designed. My favorite is a hotel he designed for a company called Cafam in Melgar, Colombia, which is one of the great post-modern designs in that country.
He was a man of great dreams and legacies. And he did it all for us! His love was so great that he always wanted the best for all of us, including my half sister Laura, who still lives in Colombia.
The best legacy that he left me is how he dealt with HD. He would not mind talking about it but then changed the subject to us and our dreams and ambitions or about music or a movie. He was a man with a great positive attitude. And he was a man of simple faith, “I don’t have all the answers but I know God does.” That is the kind of faith, I want to have.
I have a much clearer view as to what my legacy will be. My father, with just a simple faith, was able to have peace with HD and live and die with dignity. That legacy inspired me to go forward with my illness to leave something behind as well. I have to decided to put these journals in a book form so that they can be used to inspire others in the midst of there suffering as well, including my family.
Randy Alcorn in his new book, “If God is Good:Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil,” writes this: “Sometimes God intervenes by removing our suffering. Often He comforts us in our suffering. Sometimes He holds our hands as He brings us home to the perfect world He’s made for us.”
Praise be to God that whichever He chooses for me, I know it the best for me and all of those surrounding me! And the one thing I know for sure is that He is holding my hand until Jesus comes and I am resurrected into a New Body free from sickness and illness!! I WILL see Him in the morning!!! The Resurrection morning!! No more death!!No more suffering!! No more crying!!No more tears!! Until that time, I rest peacefully in my Father’s hands.
Prayer: Father, You have showed me that love me more than anyone could love me. I thank You for giving me an earthly father who was an inspiration for me and loved me as well. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, steadfast love, and compassion toward. By grace, I have been saved. By grace, if I abide in You, You will give me the strength to live a faithful life. And by grace, I will experience the joy of the hope of the resurrection of a New Body. Let me not forget to that I am walking in Your hands and that You sustain me and give me grace. Amen.”